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Former Indiana basketball star Thomas Bryant wins NBA Championship with Denver Nuggets

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Apr 9, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Thomas Bryant (13) before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Last night saw the Denver Nuggets defeat the Miami Heat 94-89 pushing them to 4-1 in the series and winning the 2023 NBA Championship. One player from the Denver Nuggets that won a ring was former Indiana basketball star Thomas Bryant.

Bryant, who was drafted No. 42 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and then later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, completed his 7th season in the league.

Bryant was acquired midseason by the Nuggets after playing very well in the first half of the year with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 41 games (25 starts) this season with the Lakers, Thomas Bryant averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Following the trade to Denver, Bryant saw action in 18 games (one start) in the regular season. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game.

Bryant did not play a single minute in the postseason for the Nuggets.

Bryant, who was a former McDonald’s All-American (2015), played two seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers from 2015-2017 under former head coach Tom Crean. In 69 games played for Indiana, Bryant averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Other accolades that Thomas Bryant earned during his time playing for the Hoosiers included Third-
team All-Big Ten (2016) and Big Ten All-Freshman team (2016).

So far, Bryant’s best stint in the NBA was when he played for the Washington Wizards from 2018-2022 where he averaged 11.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 155 total games played.

There have been seven former IU basketball players to win an NBA Championship. The last to win was Thomas Bryant’s Indiana basketball teammate OG Anunoby in 2019 for the Toronto Raptors. This was the second season in a row with a former Indiana basketball player in the Finals. Bryant and Anunoby’s Indians basketball teammate Juwan Morgan represented the Hoosiers last season with the Celtics.

SEE ALSO: 2024 five-star point guard Boogie Fland begins Indiana basketball visit

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Kyler Staley is a Basketball Recruiting Analyst for Hoosier Illustrated, a comprehensive site covering news, updates and recruiting for Indiana University athletics. Kyler has been in the basketball recruiting industry since 2019 and is a credentialed media member. He has covered Indiana since 2021 while continuing to also work for Prep Hoops Indiana. He has previously worked for Rivals.

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